Never a Dull Moment
by starsandstillness
Summary: Being Harry Potter's best friend is no easy job. It takes courage, tenacity, and one heck of a sense of humor. It takes someone like Ron Weasley. - Excerpts from the journal of Ronald Bilius Weasley, Gryffindor. Rated T for language.
1. First Year

_**Never a Dull Moment: **__**from the Journal of Ron Weasley, Gryffindor**_

**First Year**

"_Wonder what it's like __to __have __a __peaceful __life__," __Ron __sighed__._

* * *

><p><strong>31 <strong>**August**** 1991**

I'm off to Hogwarts tomorrow. Dad says don't worry if school is harder than I thought, because there's a lot to learn. Ginny says I have to write her every week.

I've never had a diary or anything, but Bill sent me this journal for school. He said having one at Hogwarts is a Prewett family thing, and he did it, and Mom gave him Uncle Gideon's old one when he turned 17. He also said they come in handy for keeping all the girls straight, "you know, remembering which ones you kissed when." Git. Wish he lived in England instead of Egypt.

He had this one bewitched to look like it's full of school notes when anyone other than me opens it, so I don't have to worry about Fred and George getting their hands on in.

* * *

><p><strong>1 <strong>**September**** 1991**

I'm a Gryffindor! Take that, Fred. Told you I'd get in.

The other first-year Gryffindor blokes seem alright, nobody annoying or stuck-up. And get this, one of them's Harry Potter! He's pretty cool, too. I met him on the train. He was raised by Muggles and didn't even know he was a wizard until a month ago. And when this snobby bloke named Draco tried to butter him up, and told him Weasleys were "riff-raff," Harry told him to bugger off.

Turns out that spell George taught me was a dud. Go figure. And right when I was trying it, some girl comes barging into our compartment like she knows everything, and tells me the spell's rubbish when it doesn't work. Thank you so much.

* * *

><p><strong>12 <strong>**September**** 1991**

Harry and I almost got eaten by a massive, three-headed dog today. Put that on the list of "things to never tell Mum about." I know Dumbledore warned us about the third-floor corridor, but really. Who can remember things like that when they're running from Filch? There should be a sign or something.

And you know who tagged along just so she could give us a lecture? Hermione Granger. She is the most bossy, overbearing, annoying person I have ever met. She could give Percy pointers. I wish she was in Ravenclaw where she belongs so she'd leave Harry and I alone.

Oh, yeah — Harry is Griffindor's new seeker! The youngest in a century. It's a bit unfair, really, since I've been flying since before I could walk (thanks to Charlie), and he only got on a broom for the first time yesterday. But I think the universe owes him one, you know?

* * *

><p><strong>11 <strong>**October**** 1991**

So, hypothetically, if I fail potions, do I have to go home and be a squib?

* * *

><p><strong>31 <strong>**October**** 1991**

I just knocked out a troll!

Hermione Granger thinks I'm a total idiot, right? And today after Charms I might have said something to the blokes about her being, well, terrible, and she might have overheard me and started to cry.

She's probably right about that idiot thing.

But hey, I made up for it tonight because a MOUNTAIN TROLL got into the castle, and it cornered Hermione in a bathroom, and she would have died, but Harry and I got there first and saved her. I distracted it while Harry got Hermione out of the way. Then Harry takes this great leap onto its back, and just as the troll is about to hit him, I use a levitation spell to knock it out with its own club! That's teamwork, that is.

The professors showed up, and I thought McGonagall was going to kill us, but Hermione lied to her and said the whole thing was her fault. McGonagall believed her and actually give Gryffindor points because we rescued her.

I guess Hermione's not so bad. Maybe the troll thing will convince her that Harry and I aren't complete idiots.

* * *

><p><strong>9 <strong>**November**** 1991**

I knew it, Snape's out to get Harry — almost killed him during his first Quidditch match today (which Harry still won handily, of course). Snape was trying to throw Harry from his broom with some hex, but Hermione set his robes on fire. You know, she's really fierce for a bookworm. Remind me never to get on her bad side.

Also, Harry saw yesterday that Snape's leg is all mangled, so he figures Snape is trying to get past that massive dog and get what it's guarding. And guess what? The dog is Hagrid's (calls him "Fluffy"), and he says it's guarding something for Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel, whoever that is.

* * *

><p><strong>11 <strong>**December**** 1991**

Next time we fight a troll, I'm using Draco Malfoy as bait.

* * *

><p><strong>27 <strong>**December**** 1991**

I tried to distract him, but Harry's back at that mirror again tonight. He's obsessed with it.

Dad says not to trust things that are too good to be true, and that's the mirror all over. What if it enchants people or something? I mean, the crazy thing had Harry and me fighting over it after five seconds, and we never do that.

Wish I could've seen Harry's family in it, though.

* * *

><p><strong>31 <strong>**January**** 1992 **

We finally found out who Flamel is — an alchemist who made the "Philosopher's Stone," which can turn anything to gold and make you live forever. He's 665 years old. Maybe if we tell him that Snape's trying to steal the thing, he'll let us use it once as a reward. I wonder how many galleons a solid gold Shooting Star would get me.

* * *

><p><strong>22 <strong>**February**** 1992**

I can now die a happy man, for I, Ronald Weasley, have punched Draco Mafoy in the face. It was all I imagined and more.

And while I was having it out with Draco, Neville took on Crabbe and Goyle — all by himself. I have seriously underestimated that man.

* * *

><p><strong>11 <strong>**March**** 1992**

George called me Ronniekins in front of their friend Lee last week, and now the all older guys are calling me that. I have got to get Hermione to teach me a few good hexes. Maybe if I tell her they're for Malfoy.

* * *

><p><strong>24 <strong>**April**** 1992**

Because my life wasn't interesting enough, Hagrid now has a dragon (named "Norbert," of course), and its our job to keep him out of jail — Hagrid, that is, not the dragon.

* * *

><p><strong>10 <strong>**May**** 1992**

Bloody, stupid dragon! McGonagall caught Harry and Hermione seeing Norbert off, and took 150 points from Gryffindor. 150 POINTS — FROM HER OWN HOUSE.

And where was I? In the hospital wing because the bloody dragon bit me on Friday. Hagrid had better be grateful. Everyone hates us now, and it's all his fault.

* * *

><p><strong>27 <strong>**May**** 1992**

Harry says that You-Know-Who is in the Forbidden Forest right now. He and Hermione were there on detention (because of Norbert), and Harry saw some weird, cloaked thing drinking unicorn's blood. His scar from You-Know-Who started to hurt, and the thing tried to attack him, but a centaur scared it away. The centaur told Harry the thing was You-Know-Who, and now Harry thinks Snape is trying to get the Philosopher's Stone so he can bring You-Know-Who back.

Harry and Hermione don't know much about the war, but I've heard stories from my Dad and Mum, and it was bad. All kinds of people died. Two of my uncles got killed, and some of my parents' friends.

Harry thinks the first thing You-Know-Who will do if he comes back is try to kill him again. The curse bounced back at him last time, but nobody knows why. What if it was a fluke? And You-Know-Who hates wizards who aren't pure blood. What about Hermione?

Sometimes Harry's life sounds like a fairy tale: "As the orphan boy wandered deeper into dark forest, the evil wizard appeared before him. With a terrible laugh, he raised his crooked wand to strike — when suddenly, a brave and good-hearted centaur…"

I hope it's the kind of story where he turns out to be a prince or something. I like happy endings.

* * *

><p><strong>30 <strong>**May**** 1992**

I think Harry's having nightmares again (I've had a few myself). And everybody's still ignoring him and Hermione for losing all those points. Like they've never lost any.

The thing is, just about any Gryffindor would've helped Hagrid, if they knew. But we can't tell them what happened, because it would get out, and then he'd get in trouble. What's the point of being brave if everyone hates you for it?

I wish I would've been there.

* * *

><p><strong>5 <strong>**June**** 1992**

Harry beat You-Know-Who again last night, at least I think he did. Dumbledore won't tell us what happened, and Harry's still unconscious. But Dumbledore says he's alright, and he'll wake up soon.

Harry, Hermione, and I went after the Philosopher's Stone, so we could get it before Snape did. All the professors had made some kind of trap, but we beat them. One of them was a giant wizard chess game, and we all got to be pieces (I was the knight). I got knocked about by the queen a bit, but we won in the end.

Anyway, Harry eventually had to go on alone, so Hermione and went back to get Dumbledore. When we found him, he already knew where Harry was, and he went to help. Hermione made me go to the hospital wing, and an hour later, Dumbledore (looking kind of scary) came in carrying Harry. He was really pale and wasn't moving at all.

Dumbedore had us tell him what happened (he knew my name!), but he won't say anything about Harry and You-Know-Who. He says that's Harry's business, and he can tell us when he wakes up. He also says that Snape had nothing to do with anything. He wouldn't even listen to our evidence.

I got to skip class today, because of my head, but Hermione says that Snape was in potions. George says their Defense Against the Dark Arts class was canceled, though, and nobody has seen Quirrell.

I told Hermione not to worry about Harry, because Dumbledore isn't worried, and he's always right.

* * *

><p><strong>6 <strong>**June**** 1992**

Hermione and I visited Harry at the hospital again tonight, but he's still not awake.

Everyone is treating Hermione and I like heroes or something, which is kind of cool. I must have told the story about a hundred times. There's lot of rumors going around about what happened between Harry and You-Know-Who, but they're pretty stupid — like about Harry fighting a dragon and setting You-Know-Who on fire.

Hermione only cried a little today, as we were leaving the hospital. And when we got out to the corridor, she hugged me and told me I was a real Gryffindor for being so brave with the chess game. If Fred and George every find out, I'm done for.

Hermione says Harry looks less pale today than he did yesterday.

* * *

><p><strong>7 <strong>**June**** 1992**

Harry's awake and okay! He says it was Quirrell trying to kill him and get the stone all year, and that Snape was try to protect him, and that You-Know-Who was living in the back of Quirrell's head!

The Philosopher's Stone was somehow inside that weird mirror, and Harry managed to get it out. Quirrell tried to take it from him, but his skin started to burn when he touched Harry. So Harry grabbed him and held on, and that's the last thing he remembers. He says that Dumbledore says he almost died.

Oh, and a fifth-year Ravenclaw challenged me to a chess game after dinner, and I beat him. I can't wait to tell Dad.

* * *

><p><strong>8 <strong>**June**** 1992**

We won the House Cup!

Dumbledore gave Gryffindor a bunch of points right there at the feast tonight, no warning or anything — 10 points for Neville standing up to us when we snuck out of the common room, 50 for Hermione beating the puzzle with the bottles, 50 for Harry fighting You-Know-Who, and 50 for me playing "the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years."

Dumbledore had this sneaky little smile the whole time, too, like he enjoyed seeing the Slytherins squirm. He's great. I want to remember the look on Malfoy's face forever.

* * *

><p><em>Author's note: All dates courtesy the Harry Potter Lexicon.<em>


	2. Second Year, Autumn

**Second Year (Autumn)**

"_If __the __Sorting __Hat __had __tried __to __put __me __in __Slytherin__, __I__'__d__'__ve __got __the __train __straight __back __home__..."_

* * *

><p><strong>1 <strong>**September**** 1992**

Harry and I almost got kicked out of Hogwarts tonight before term even started. Not even Fred and George can say that.

It was pretty cool, actually. We couldn't get through the barrier at the train station, but Dad's flying car was just outside, so we thought, "Why not?" and flew it all the way to Hogwarts. The car barely made it and crashed us into this crazy, man-eating tree, but it wasn't anything Harry and I couldn't handle.

Some Muggles saw us flying, so Snape tried to get us kicked out of school — of course — but McGonagall let us off with just detentions. She didn't even take points from Gryffindor. And when we got to the Common Room, we were heroes (except to Hermione, but when does she approve?).

Not a bad way to start the year, eh?

* * *

><p><strong>2 <strong>**September**** 1992**

What a disaster. Dad's facing an inquiry at work because of that stupid car, and it's all my fault. And my wand is now complete rubbish. It broke when that ruddy tree attacked us last night, and I couldn't do a single spell right today. I can't ask for another one, though — there's no way Dad and Mum can afford that, especially if Dad gets fired because of me. What am I going to do?

* * *

><p><strong>3 <strong>**September**** 1992**

Lockhart, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, is a complete idiot. In his very first class today, we got to take a quiz all about him (#4: My Greatest Ambition: To find my rear end with both hands.) and then rescue him from a bunch of pixies he set loose. He's completely useless. And you know what? Hermione fancies him! She thinks he's brilliant, just because he writes books or something.

It's like Ginny and Harry. She's had a crush on him all year, but she doesn't even really know him. Seriously, she's so nervous around Harry that's she's never actually talked to him. I think she just fancies him because he's "the Boy Who Lived." Now that I think about it, there are a lot of girls at Hogwarts who get funny when Harry's around.

Girls go for famous blokes, eh? I guess that's one advantage to being a Weasley, then: you don't have to put up with anybody making doe eyes at you and dropping stuff when you walk by.

* * *

><p><strong>6 <strong>**September**** 1992**

Malfoy called Hermione a Mudblood yesterday! In front of everybody! I couldn't believe it.

We went down to the pitch to watch Quidditch practice (or as I put it to Hermione, " to read in the fresh air"), but the Slytherins were already there to train their new seeker, sodding Draco Malfoy — who only got on the team because his dad bought them all new Nimbus 2001s.

Because I was within earshot, Malfoy made a snotty comment about how rich he is. Hermione answered right back with something brilliant, and Malfoy called her a "filthy little Mudblood"!

All the Gryffindors went after him, of course, but my stupid wand backfired, and I got my own slug curse right in the gut — started getting sick right there in front of everybody. The Slytherins just about died laughing. Good show, Ron.

Where does that slimy git get off thinking he's better than Hermione? Anyone with half a brain can see she's one of the best witches at Hogwarts. Way smarter than him, for sure.

Besides, doesn't Malfoy know people died because of rubbish like that? It's disgusting, that's what it is. Does he really think Muggle-borns like Hermione and Dean should get kicked out of Hogwarts and — what? Killed like Harry's mum? Locked up in Azkaban? Made to work like house elves?

If anybody's trash, it's worthless rats like Draco Malfoy. I'm pretty sure Dad thinks his dad was a Death Eater.

* * *

><p><strong>12 <strong>**October**** 1992**

Ginny has got to make some friends. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she's my friend, but she needs some first-year friends too. She sits with us at almost every meal. And because she's within six feet of Harry, she never talks and spends the whole time looking twitchy.

Mum would be really worried if she knew, so there's no way I'm going to tell her. She'd just find some way to fuss over Ginny and embarrass her, and that's not going to help. I'm sure she'll work it out. It hasn't even been two months, right?

* * *

><p><strong>24 <strong>**October**** 1992**

Slytherin pounded Ravenclaw in Quidditch today — those Nimbus 2001s are amazingly fast. I have got to practice Quidditch more this summer. I can't join Percy as the only Weasley not to take the field for Gryffindor. 'Course, if I got on the team, I'd need a new broom. My Shooting Star's a joke.

Speaking of things I can't afford, I set my desk on fire in Transfiguration today thanks to my stupid wand. What if I'm stuck with this thing until I graduate? There's no way Harry can cover for me for the next six years.

* * *

><p><strong>31 <strong>**October**** 1992**

Something really weird is going on. We were walking to the Great Hall tonight when Harry heard a voice talking about killing someone, and ran after it. Hermione and I didn't hear a thing, but we followed, and on the wall in a second-floor hallway someone had written "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware." And Filch's stupid cat was right next to it, completely stiff like it was frozen or something.

Suddenly the hallway was full of people, and Malfoy shouted, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" But before Harry and I could cram the words down his lousy throat, all the professors showed up. Dumbledore said the cat had been "petrified," but he doesn't know how it happened.

Harry says that the voice he heard tonight was the same one he heard in Lockheart's office during his detention, and that Lockhart couldn't hear it either. What sort of thing has a voice only one person can hear?

* * *

><p><strong>4 <strong>**November**** 1992**

Guess who opened the Chamber of Secrets? That rotter Draco Mafoy. In class today, Binns said that Slytherin himself built the thing because he hated Muggle-born wizards, and he put some sort of monster in it, so that when his "heir"showed up, they could use the monster to kill everyone "unworthy" to be at Hogwarts. What a sweetheart, eh?

And that evil, slimy, rotten Malfoy is Slytherin's heir — at least, that's what Harry and I think. Hermione isn't sure (she never believes us), but she's got a crazy plan to make Polyjuice potion and find out if we're right. If Hermione's willing to drink the stuff, it can't be that dangerous, right?

* * *

><p><strong>5 <strong>**November**** 1992**

Hermione got the Polyjuice instructions today, and she says we'll have to steal a bunch of the ingredients from Snape. Harry asked (rather reasonably, I thought) if this was still a good idea, and Hermione freaked out at him.

You know, I didn't think about her being scared by this Chamber stuff. Hermione's always so calm and collected. But that's stupid — of course she's scared. She's everything that guys like Slytherin hate.

It's going to take six weeks to make the Polyjuice. Then we'll collar Malfoy, give the monster to Hagrid as a Christmas present, and she can get back to re-reading 'Hogwarts: A History.'

* * *

><p><strong>7 <strong>**November**** 1992**

Draco Malfoy — with his stacks of galleons and "pure-blood" ancestors — is still no match for Harry Potter. Today Malfoy somehow enchanted a Bludger to chase only Harry during the match. The stupid thing broke his arm. Didn't matter, though, Harry got the Snitch anyway — grabbed it from right next to Malfoy's fat head!

But is he in the common room celebrating with us? Of course not, because that idiot Lockhart tried to fix his arm and accidentally REMOVED ALL THE BONES. How does he fool Hermione? She sees right through my best homework excuses, but everything he does is "so clever."

Anyway, instead of celebrating with the rest of the Gryffindors, Harry's in the hospital wing growing his bones back. You know, I think it's about time Malfoy spent a night or two in there.

* * *

><p><strong>8 <strong>**November**** 1992**

Turns out it wasn't Malfoy who enchanted the Bludger; it was that crazy house elf, Dobby, the one who showed up at Harry's house back in July and told him to stay away from Hogwarts because someone was out to get him. Here's a list of Dobby's good deeds so far:

- Stealing Harry's mail all summer so he'd think Hermione and I didn't miss him.

- Doing magic at the Dursleys' house so the Ministry would think Harry did it and expel him.

- Closing the barrier at Platform 9 ¾ so Harry and I couldn't get on the train.

- Making a Bludger attack him so he'd get hurt enough to be sent home (but not enough to die, of course, because that would defeat the purpose).

Truely, Harry never had a better friend.

Of course, this doesn't mean Malfoy isn't an evil toad. He and his monster petrified somebody else last night, a little first-year Gryffindor named Colin Creevy who carries a Muggle camera around with him everywhere. Harry saw Colin in the hospital wing, said he had his camera up to his face like he was trying to take a picture of the monster. That's a Gryffindor for you.

* * *

><p><strong>17 <strong>**December**** 1992**

Dad always says you can't make assumptions about people; you have to judge them by what they do (like Perkins from his office had a sister who was a Death Eater, but Perkins is still a really nice guy). And George likes to say that life is funny.

Which is important to remember right now because Harry Potter, my best mate, can talk to snakes. Hilarious, eh?

It came out at Lockhart's Dueling Club tonight. Harry was facing Malfoy, who sent a snake at him. It started heading for this smarmy Hufflepuff named Justin, and Harry chased after it, making all these weird noises. He says he was telling the snake to stop, and I believe him, but that's sure not what it looked like.

Tomorrow's going to be a nightmare. Harry may be completely and obviously non-evil — he may be so non-evil that random house-elves want to save his life and dark wizards burst into flame when they touch him. But he's a Parselmouth, and like Dad says, when people get scared, they stop thinking. Which means everyone will assume Harry is Slytherin's heir — Harry Potter, the bloke who beat You-Know-Who (twice) and hangs out with Muggle-born Hermione Granger and all of the Muggle-loving Weasleys. It's so stupid.

* * *

><p><strong>18 <strong>**December**** 1992**

Alright, the heir has got to be Malfoy, because now he's trying to frame Harry. This morning, Harry tried to find Justin and explain what really happened with the snake. Instead, he finds Justin already petrified, along with Nearly-Headless Nick. No one else is around, naturally, and Peeves sees him and makes a huge racket, so everyone rushes over and finds Harry there with Justin, looking guilty as sin.

Dumbledore believes he's innocent, but I don't think anyone else does. What a set-up.

* * *

><p><strong>21 <strong>**December**** 1992**

I'm proud to say that all the Weasleys are on Harry's side. Fred and George are even making a big joke out of it. They're all staying over for Christmas too, so it won't be just the three of us and a few lousy Slytherins.


	3. Second Year, Spring

**Second Year (Spring)**

"_Maybe __he __murdered __Myrtle__, __that __would__'__ve __done __everyone __a __favour__..."_

* * *

><p><strong>25 <strong>**December**** 1992**

Our plan worked, sort of. The Polyjuice fooled Malfoy, but he's innocent — well, he's innocent of being "Slytherin's heir," anyway. He's still guilty of being a hateful git. He wants to know who the heir is so he can help him. He also showed us a Prophet article saying the Ministry fined my dad fifty Galleons because of that flying car. Draco, of course, thought it was hilarious, and we had to pretend to laugh. I hate him; I really do.

Not everything went great, though. The hair Hermione put in her potion belonged to Millicent Bulstrode's cat, so it gave her a hairy face, pointy ears, and a tail — and they're still there! I didn't tell her this, but it's a little scary looking. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey says she can get her back to normal in a few weeks.

Anyway, when we got to the common room afterward, I told everyone that Harry and I were having a duel when my wand went haywire and did something weird to Hermione, and that Madam Pomfrey was sorting her out, but that she was embarrassed and didn't want visitors. Percy lit into me, but Fred and George were laughing so hard I couldn't even hear him, and Harry and I escaped upstairs before anyone could ask us more questions. What a Christmas.

* * *

><p><strong>26 <strong>**December**** 1992**

I haven't written home in a bit. Maybe I should send Dad a letter this week, tell him again that I'm sorry about the car. Fifty Galleons. And I won't mention my wand once.

* * *

><p><strong>29 <strong>**December**** 1992**

We brought the chess board to the hospital wing tonight so Hermione and I could have a game. She already has a huge stack of books, but reading all day just can't be healthy. Besides, nobody plays chess like Hermione; the way she huffs when I guess her moves and cut her off is hilarious. If she didn't have the same strategy every time, she wouldn't be so easy to predict.

Hermione was complaining about having fur, so I told her to be thankful that Millicent doesn't have a rat — she could look like Scabbers right now. She threw one of my bishops at me! Girls have no sense of humor sometimes.

* * *

><p><strong>18 <strong>**January**** 1993**

It looks like Hermione's almost back to normal, which is a good thing, because my marks are really starting to suffer. I hadn't realized just how many questions I ask her during homework. She's like a walking encyclopedia.

And this sounds really stupid, but it's not half as much fun to have food fights with Harry if she's not there to get annoyed.

* * *

><p><strong>14 <strong>**February**** 1993**

Harry just went into a book. A few weeks ago, he found this empty, 50-year-old diary in Myrtle's bathroom. Tonight he wrote something in it, and T.M. Riddle (the guy whose name is on the cover) actually wrote back. Then Harry somehow got pulled inside the diary and watched one of Riddle's memories. According to the memory, Hagrid opened the Chamber when he was a student and let the monster loose. The monster eventually ran away, but Riddle still told on Hagrid, and he got expelled.

But that just doesn't make sense. Hagrid wouldn't hurt anyone, and he doesn't care two beans about that "pure blood" nonsense. Besides, Riddle sounds like a snitch. The monster had already run away; why did he have to tell on Hagrid? To get his name on that stupid trophy?

Oh, and this morning Ginny actually had the guts to send Harry a Valentine, so Malfoy made fun of her in front of everybody. Taking the mickey out of Harry and I is one thing, but a first-year girl? I wish he was the heir of Slytherin so I could see his lousy rat face get sent to Azkaban.

* * *

><p><strong>1 <strong>**March**** 1993**

Malfoy's memory-enhancing potion exploded all over him this morning, Harry gave me an amazing amount of chocolate for my birthday, and we haven't heard a peep out of the Chamber of Secrets for over three months. Maybe the monster decided to do us all a favor and ate the heir of Slytherin.

* * *

><p><strong>16 <strong>**April**** 1993**

I've barely written a thing lately because things have been really normal — class, homework, Quidditch, more homework. What do people write in journals when they're not friends with Harry Potter?

Speaking of Harry, he actually got Ginny to play a few games of exploding snap with us tonight. She didn't play very well, but she seemed to be having fun — even looked Harry in the eye a few times. He sure is intimidating, eh? Girls.

* * *

><p><strong>7 <strong>**May**** 1993**

Somebody trashed our room tonight and stole Riddle's diary. Why? Hermione's right, it would have to be a Gryffindor. But who? The only person the book's dangerous to is Hagrid, and he doesn't even know it exists. I wonder what house he was in.

* * *

><p><strong>8 <strong>**May**** 1993**

The monster from the Chamber got Hermione. She's just lying there, on a bed in the hospital wing, perfectly still, not moving or breathing or anything.

She doesn't even look like her any more. I mean, she does, but it's like she isn't really in there — like Hermione's not there. Her eyes are empty.

* * *

><p><strong>9 <strong>**May**** 1993**

Madam Pomfrey won't let us in to see Hermione. She says petrified people can't see or hear anything, but what if she's wrong? What if Hermione is awake, but she just can't move? Staring at the ceiling, all day and all night, without anything to read. Or anyone to talk to.

And because things weren't bad enough, the Ministry sent Hagrid to Azkaban and SACKED DUMBLEDORE! Brilliant, eh? The heir's going to start killing people now, for sure. Harry and I have got to figure this out before something happens to the rest of the Muggle-borns. And Hermione was on to something too, before it got her.

On the way back from dinner, Percy was going on about the Minister having a "responsibility to his blah, blah, blah" and how Dumbledore was "past his prime" and "deserves a good rest" — when George grabbed him and shoved him up against the wall! I couldn't tell if George said anything, but Percy looked terrified — for a few seconds, anyway. Then he pulled his 'dignified prefect' look, took ten points, and stormed off to his room to sulk. Best thing that happened all day.

* * *

><p><strong>22 <strong>**May**** 1993**

Madam Pomfrey says the mandrakes will be ready next week, and then we can ask Hermione what she figured out. They still won't let us visit her.

* * *

><p><strong>25 <strong>**May**** 1993**

Hagrid may never have killed anyone with his "pets," but not for lack of trying.

Last night we followed the spiders — just like he said — straight into the Forbidden Forest, where we met his dear friend Aragog, the ENORMOUS TALKING SPIDER WHO TRIED TO EAT US! We barely got out of there alive, and I am not exaggerating.

But hey, at least we learned that Aragog was the animal Hagrid was raising 50 years ago, which means some mystery person opened the Chamber of Secrets, which means WE ALMOST DIED AND WE STILL HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO GO ON. Totally worth it. Thanks, Hagrid.

Alright, I guess we learned one useful thing: Aragog said the girl who was killed 50 years ago died in a bathroom, so Harry thinks it could have been Moaning Myrtle. Now we just have to find a way to sneak away from the professors and talk to her alone. No problem at all.

I wish Hermione were here.

* * *

><p><strong>29 <strong>**May**** 1993**

You-Know-Who was possessing my sister! All school year! Ginny was the one who wrote those creepy message, and opened the Chamber, and told the Basilisk to attack people — Ginny!

You-Know-Who brought her into the Chamber to kill her this morning, and Harry and I went to save her. Harry killed the Basilisk with Godrick Gryffindor's sword! Then he stabbed You-Know-Who with a Basilisk fang!

And Hermione's okay! And THEY CANCELED EXAMS!

* * *

><p><strong>30 <strong>**May**** 1993**

So it turns out this whole thing was Malfoy's dad's fault, so we were right all along, kind of.

You know Tom Riddle's diary, the one Harry went into? Well, Tom Riddle grew up to be You-Know-Who! And he somehow put his memories in the diary. Mr. Malfoy had the diary, and he gave it to Ginny at the beginning of the year.

So Ginny wrote to Tom Riddle, and he wrote back and used the book to take her over. She was speaking Parseltongue and setting the Basilisk on people, and she didn't even know it. I want to ask her how much she remembers, but Hermione says I should wait a little while. Ginny's probably still pretty shaken up about the whole thing.

And Harry says that Dobby is — no, was! — the Malfoy's elf, so he knew the plan and tried to warn Harry. And last night, Harry got them back — he tricked Malfoy's dad into setting Dobby free!

Speaking of people who got what they deserved, I forgot about Lockhart. When Harry and I went into the Chamber after Ginny, we tried to bring him with us because he's Defense Against the Dark Arts, right?

Yeah, right. That idiot — that stinking, worthless git — tried to run away. He would have just abandoned Ginny to You-Know-Who! He told us that his books are full of things other people did, and then he tried to wipe our memories like he wiped theirs.

Fortunately, he used my wand, so the idiot fried his own brain instead. Unfortunately, he also caused a cave-in that trapped him and me at the entrance to the Chamber. I couldn't even help Harry save my own sister.

Dumbledore gave both Harry and I two hundred points for Gryffindor for rescuing Ginny, and we each got a Special Award for Services to the School. That doesn't seem fair, though. All I did was survive a cave-in and then wait around while Harry did all the heroic stuff. Kind of like last year.

Of course, Riddle got a Special Award for framing Hagrid. I guess deserve it more than he did.

It would have been pretty cool to fight a Basilisk with Gryffindor's sword. Next time Harry, I don't know, saves the school from horde of Inferi or something, I am not getting left behind!

* * *

><p><strong>12 <strong>**June**** 1993**

I think I could get used to this class-without-exams thing. Maybe I can find another monster to sneak around the school next year (especially if my wand is still setting other people's hair on fire).

Hermione's been studying like mad anyway, of course. She's really worked up about how much class she missed and is convinced that she'll do "just terrible" next year. Ha. She could be petrified for all of next year and still know more than I do.

She's not studying Lockhart's books, though. We told her what he did, and she actually swore. She said she feels like an idiot for liking him, but Harry and I reminded her about making the Polyjuice and figuring out about the Basilisk, and all of that. I told her that not even she can be right about everything. She hit me.


End file.
